An improvised explosive device (IED) planted by suspected armed terrorists detonated along the Gurusu-Gwashi road in Bukkuyum Local Government Area of Zamfara State on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, striking a Toyota Eagle Eye vehicle and injuring multiple passengers.
The explosion occurred at precisely 8:32 a.m., throwing the vehicle off balance and sparking panic among commuters on the route.
The vehicle was carrying passengers from Gwashi, though the exact number aboard remains undetermined.
Security sources attribute the attack to terrorists linked to Dogo Gide, specifically a faction collaborating with an operative named Sadiku, as part of a pattern of roadside explosives used to target travelers in the region.
Casualty figures vary across reports: Some accounts confirm four deaths, including verification from Hon. Hamisu Fasu, a member of the Zamfara State House of Assembly representing Bukkuyum.
Others report five fatalities, as noted by Governor Dauda Lawal in a statement lamenting the “senseless loss of innocent lives.”
One early report suggested all passengers were killed, but this has not been corroborated.
The injured were evacuated to nearby medical facilities, with efforts to assess full damage ongoing.Troops from Operation Fansan Yanma, supported by tactical units and bomb disposal experts, were deployed to the scene to secure the area and search for additional devices.
Zamfara State Police spokesperson Yazid Abubakar had not issued a comment at the time of reporting.
Authorities have urged caution for travelers on the Gurusu-Gwashi route, a known hotspot for bandit ambushes and kidnappings in northwest Nigeria.
This incident underscores the escalating use of IEDs by armed groups in the area, complicating security operations amid ongoing banditry.
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